The Miller ministry was the combined cabinet (formally the Executive Council of Ontario) that governed Ontario from February 8, 1985, to June 26, 1985. It was led by the 19th premier of Ontario, Frank Miller. The ministry was made up of members of the Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario, which commanded a first a majority and then a minority in the Legislative Assembly of Ontario.
The ministry replaced the Davis ministry following the resignation of Premier Bill Davis and the 1985 PC leadership convention. The Miller ministry governed through the last few months of the 32nd Parliament of Ontario and the first few weeks of the 33rd Parliament of Ontario.
After the 1985 Ontario general election, Miller won a plurality of seats but failed to retain the confidence of the Ontario Legislative Assembly. Miller resigned, and was succeeded as Premier of Ontario by David Peterson.
First Miller ministry Miller began with 33 cabinet members serving in 28 (soon to be 29) portfolios. This was the largest cabinet in Ontario's history; Miller also carried an unprecedented seven ministers without portfolios.
23 of the cabinet members had previous ministry experience. Two of these established cabinet ministers had competed with Miller for leadership of the PC Party only weeks previously: Larry Grossman (appointed Treasurer and Minister of Economics), and Dennis Timbrell (appointed Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing). Also among the experienced cabinet members were Premier Miller himself, Bette Stephenson (appointed Chair of Management Board of Cabinet), and Bob Welch (appointed Deputy Premier and Attorney General).
Among the ten newly appointed cabinet ministers were future Premiers Mike Harris (appointed Minister of Natural Resources} and Ernie Eves (appointed Provincial Secretary for Resource Development and, on March 22, 1985, to the newly created portfolio of Ministry of Skills Development).
By the time the election occurred, three cabinet members would be serving in two portfolios: Miller (Premier and Intergovernmental Affairs), Eves (Provincial Secretary for Resource Development and Minister of Skills Development), as well as Keith Norton (Minister of Education and Minister of Colleges and Universities).
The first Miller ministry lasted 98 days.
Second Miller ministry After the May 2, 1985, election, the PC Party saw its majority vanish, at they plummeted from 70 to 52 seats, still a plurality in the Legislative Assembly, but eleven shy of a majority. Eight cabinet ministers would lose their seats, while veteran cabinet members Bob Welch and James Snow did not contest their seats, thus creating ten vacancies.
This election marked a significant turning point in Ontario politics as the Tories would see their political base move out of Toronto and into the rural areas of Ontario over the next several elections. Four of the eight lost seats were situated in Metro Toronto, and the PC party saw their share of Toronto representation drop from 18 of 29 seats to a mere 10 of 29.
Miller signaled a recognition of this shifting political base in the way he filled the vacancies. He did not add a single new Toronto MPP to his cabinet, but selected three MPPs from the previously neglected Peel, York, and Durham regions that surround Metro Toronto: before the election they only had Ashe and Gregory, but after they added to those two Cousens, Cureatz, and Stevenson.
Ultimately, Miller would assemble a cabinet of 28 members on May 17, 1985, to fill 29 portfolios. He would carry four MWPs; Grossman would cover three portfolios while Harris, Timbrell and Pope would each cover two.
The second Miller ministry would last 40 days.
List of ministers +Miller ministry by leadership positionPositionMinisterTenureStartEnd Premier of Ontario Frank Miller February 8, 1985 June 26, 1985Deputy Premier of Ontario Bob Welch February 8, 1985 May 17, 1985 Bette Stephenson May 17, 1985 June 26, 1985 Chair of Cabinet Claude Bennett February 8, 1985 June 26, 1985House Leader Bob Welch February 20, 1985 May 1, 1985 Larry Grossman May 17, 1985 June 26, 1985Chief Whip Alan Robinson February 8, 1985 May 17, 1985 Robert C. Mitchell May 17, 1985 June 26, 1985
+Miller ministry by portfolioPortfolioMinisterTenureStartEndChair of the Management Board of Cabinet Bette Stephenson February 8, 1985 May 17, 1985 George Ashe May 17, 1985 June 26, 1985Minister of Agriculture and Food Philip Andrewes February 8, 1985 May 17, 1985 K. Ross Stevenson May 17, 1985 June 26, 1985Attorney General Bob Welch February 8, 1985 May 17, 1985 Alan Pope May 17, 1985 June 26, 1985 Minister of Citizenship and Culture Susan Fish February 8, 1985 May 17, 1985 Nick Leluk May 17, 1985 June 26, 1985Minister of Colleges and Universities Keith Norton February, 1985 May 17, 1985 Larry Grossman May 17, 1985 June 26, 1985Minister of Community and Social Services Robert Elgie February 8, 1985 May 17, 1985 Ernie Eves May 17, 1985 June 26, 1985Minister of Consumer and Commercial Relations Gordon Walker February 8, 1985 May 17, 1985 Bob Runciman May 17, 1985 June 26, 1985Minister of Correctional Services Nick Leluk February 8, 1985 May 1, 1985 Don Cousens May 17, 1985 June 26, 1985Minister of Education Keith Norton February 8, 1985 May 17, 1985 Larry Grossman May 17, 1985 June 26, 1985Minister of Energy George Ashe February 8, 1985 May 17, 1985 Mike Harris May 17, 1985 June 26, 1985Minister of the Environment Morley Kells February 8, 1985 May 17, 1985 Susan Fish May 17, 1985 June 26, 1985Treasurer Larry Grossman February 8, 1985 May 1, 1985 Bette Stephenson May 17, 1985 June 26, 1985Minister of Government Services Bob Runciman February 8, 1985 May 17, 1985 Jim Gordon May 17, 1985 June 26, 1985Minister of Health Alan Pope February 8, 1985 May 17, 1985 Philip Andrewes May 17, 1985 June 26, 1985Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs Frank Miller February 8, 1985 May 17, 1985 Reuben Baetz May 17, 1985 June 26, 1985 Minister of Industry and Trade Andy Brandt February 8, 1985 June 26, 1985Minister of Labour Russ Ramsay February 8, 1985 May 17, 1985 Robert Elgie May 17, 1985 June 26, 1985 Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing Dennis Timbrell February 8, 1985 June 26, 1985 Minister of Natural Resources Mike Harris February 8, 1985 June 26, 1985 Minister of Northern Affairs Leo Bernier February 8, 1985 June 26, 1985Minister Responsible for French Language Service vacant February 8, 1985 May 17, 1985 Alan Pope May 17, 1985 June 26, 1985 Minister Responsible for Women's Issues Dennis Timbrell February 8, 1985 June 26, 1985Minister of Revenue Bud Gregory February 8, 1985 May 17, 1985 Gordon Dean May 17, 1985 June 26, 1985Ministry of Skills Development Ernie Eves February 8, 1985 May 17, 1985 Phil Gillies May 17, 1985 June 26, 1985 Minister of Tourism and Recreation Claude Bennett February 8, 1985 June 26, 1985 Minister of Transportation and Communications George McCague February 8, 1985 June 26, 1985Ministers Without Portfolios Phil Gillies February 8, 1985 May 17, 1985 René Piché February 8, 1985 May 17, 1985 Alan Robinson February 8, 1985 May 17, 1985 David Rotenberg February 8, 1985 May 17, 1985 James W. Snow February 8, 1985 May 17, 1985 Sam Cureatz May 17, 1985 June 26, 1985 Noble Villeneuve May 17, 1985 June 26, 1985 Al McLean February 8, 1985 June 26, 1985 Robert C. Mitchell February 8, 1985 June 26, 1985Provincial Secretary for Justice Reuben Baetz February 8, 1985 May 1, 1985 Alan Pope May 17, 1985 June 26, 1985Provincial Secretary for Resource Development Ernie Eves February 8, 1985 May 1, 1985 Dennis Timbrell May 17, 1985 June 26, 1985Provincial Secretary for Social Development Gordon Dean February 8, 1985 May 1, 1985 Larry Grossman May 17, 1985 June 26, 1985Solicitor General John Reesor Williams February 8, 1985 May 17, 1985 Bud Gregory May 17, 1985 June 26, 1985
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